The Verdier Mansion rests along a grand Russian Hill public stairway, its neighboring homes among the city’s most historic, illustrious and expensive. But even among such rarified company, 1001 Vallejo St. stands apart, not just for its beauty but for its incredible — and quintessentially San Franciscan — story.
For 120 years, this mansion has been home to influential and famous denizens of the city, from business tycoons and cultural icons to high-level bankers and even a Nobel Prize winner. But it was also, for a time, an opium den, a brothel and an officers’ club. With such lore, it’s no wonder the Verdier Mansion has been dubbed “the House of the Grand Passion.” Now, for the first time in 20 years, this property is for sale, asking $25 million.
The Verdier Mansion is a local celebrity. Painted a verdant peacock green with window frames and ironwork in glossy black, the 9,545-square-foot abode rises to six levels.
The mansion is impossible to miss atop Taylor Street, where the Vallejo Street steps descend to North Beach. Even for people who don’t live in SF, this is a recognizable property: Embellished by only minor CGI, it is the mysterious “dream house” featured in Season 2 of the Netflix series “The OA.” The home’s facade is immense, spanning 100 feet along the street-facing frontage of its oversized 8,285-square-foot lot…